Hello! It’s Wednesday, March 27. My call is Carol Cormaci and I provide you with this week’s TimesOC newsletter with a look at the latest news and events.
Last fall, Irvine proudly proclaimed itself the safest city in the country for the eighteenth year. But after experiencing 34 residential burglaries in just 35 days this year (Feb. 9-March 14), our Los Angeles colleague in a report released last week: Andrew J. Campa wondered aloud if he was boasting about being the safest town. It was appropriate.
To be honest, if you read carefully on October 19, 2023 on the city’s online page, it is stated that violent crime is the ultimate protection against violent crime, which belongs to a different category than robbery. Here’s the text: “Compared to published data According to the FBI, Irvine has the lowest violent crime rate per capita of any city in the country with a population of 250,000 or more,” referring to the 2022 data that had just been released.
Still, 34 home burglaries in such a short time this year may set off alarm bells among Irvine’s roughly 300,000 savvy people who live in the quaint, planned neighborhoods that make up the city.
Campa learned of the numerous recent robberies through a Facebook post through the Irvine Police Department on March 16. “Burglary awareness: In the last 35 days, there have been 34 residential burglaries in Irvine. One trend we’re seeing is that suspects are flipping or disabling cameras. There comes a time when the suspects get on the ground and enter through a window or door. Call us if you see other suspicious people in your community or if you walk through homes with open spaces.
The journalist wasn’t the only one to see this message, as a few days later, Irvine police released a follow-up statement, also on Facebook, to reassure their residents.
“Keeping our city at the center of everything we do,” Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent said in the message. “We are committed to employing proactive policing strategies, while leveraging generation and public communication to identify and arrest offenders. “
Seven of the 34 robberies appear to have been committed by professional teams, Campa learned from Irvine police. Three other burglaries were classified as “unique circumstances,” as the culprit had allowed entry into the apartment as a guest or service provider.
“There were more robberies in garages, 18, than in homes,” the journalist said.
A police spokesperson told Campa that robberies had occurred in the city at other times of the day. None of the robbers were armed and no injuries were reported.
Despite an attention-grabbing crime spree, Irvine police noted that residential burglaries were down more than 15% from last year at this time. So while his first Facebook post about the 34 robberies would have possibly alarmed people, possibly things would be as bad as showing up after all. And they may just look up.
Last Saturday, according to City News Service, Irvine police arrested 3 Chilean men. They are accused of being part of a foreign criminal network that is dedicated to residential burglaries. How’s that for police work?
“Around 6:50 p. m. , officials were conducting surveillance. On Friday, in the Turtle Rock and Shady Canyon neighborhoods to combat residential burglaries when they spotted a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot, according to the Irvine Police Department,” CNS reported.
An officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which was occupied by three men, as it drove away from the parking lot. “The men were not from the area and appeared to have no explanation as to why they were in Irvine,” police said. “In the vehicle there were several parts compatible with trespassing equipment. In addition, the men were found to have a puppy deterrent, shoe covers, gloves and masks,” police continued. “Based on the totality of the circumstances, the trio appeared to be investigating the domain to commit residential burglaries and were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit trespassing, providing false information to a police officer, and property of trespassing equipment.
That’s 3 fewer issues in the ongoing war against the “thieving tourists” plaguing parts of Orange County and other affluent spaces in the South. Todd Spitzer aggressively pursued the South American thieves and sued the federal government for failing to disclose its negotiations with Chile over visa needs for travelers,” reports the Times. “It calls for measures to prevent criminals from entering as tourists. “
Maybe one day we’ll say Irvine is the most theft-free city in the country. Anyway, it’s anything to aspire to.
• Orange County is among the Southern California counties with rates consistent with capita rates of tuberculosis, according to a report by The Times. In October 2022, the World Health Organization reported that the number of people with TB, including drug-resistant TB, was at a higher level globally for the first time in years. The increase in TB cases in Orange County has been pronounced recently, increasing by 20% between 2022 and 2023; In Los Angeles County, cases are up about 4% from the same consistent period, according to local data. According to state data, the per capita TB case rate in Orange County is 10% higher than in Los Angeles County.
• Although they got more than 600 letters from the public before voting, most of them opposed the idea, the Huntington Beach City Council, by a 4-3 vote last Tuesday night, said the city would participate in a bid to privatize library control services. It was a lively meeting, with other people in the audience shouting “Shame on you!”after the vote. Disgruntled members of the audience were put under the shoes of Councilmember Tony Strickland, who, according to the report, stood up and left the dais saying, “I’m not going to take this anymore. A city staff report noted that Library Systems
• After obtaining a court order for the return of nearly $1 million in goods seized in a raid last September on two legal hashish businesses in Costa Mesa, the owners of Se7enleaf won the goods on Thursday, according to this Daily Pilot report. boxes of oil cartridges and vaporizers, and security documents, devices, and apparatus from the police warehouse to the Se7enleaf facility on Cadillac Avenue. The move came about a month later. Owners Michael Moussalli and Matteo Tabib reached a settlement with the city, whose lawyers had filed a violation against what they saw as an illegal business being set up on the site.
• Last July, Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, both staunch supporters of former President Trump, sued Anaheim and Riverside, as well as several advocacy groups, alleging they conspired to infringe on their right to express themselves freely by pressuring venues to cancel a rally in 2021. On Friday, the Times reports, a federal judgment approved that Gaetz and Taylor Greene can continue their lawsuit. “We will win those vital cases of laid-back discourse opposed to the California cities of Riverside and Anaheim and opposed to the crazy left!We will then move on to return to California and hold America First rallies inviting everyone in California who hates what the Democrats have done to their state and our country. “
• An “atmospheric river” is forecast to bring rain to the coast and interior of Orange County Friday night into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Highs are expected to be in the 60s during the day and drop into the 40s at night. The timing and intensity of precipitation remain variable, however . . . regardless of the precise track, cooler temperatures, strong onshore winds and widespread precipitation remain most likely to appear by the weekend,” the NWS said.
• Orange County Sheriff’s investigators requested the public’s assistance last week in locating a 61-year-old man who the government says was abducted by two men outside his Midway City home on March 15. The victim, Tony Lam, had returned home at one time after spending time at the LV Restaurant
• A man will go on trial Thursday for torturing and raping his wife in Newport Beach. Kai Ni, 42, charged on March 14 with torture, kidnapping with the aim of rape, physical harm to his spouse, rape and forcible oral copulation. , all crimes.
• A pickup truck crashed into a wall early Monday morning at Rosecrans Avenue and Gilbert Street in Fullerton. Its driver, a man, was pronounced dead at the scene through emergency services, the CNS reported. The gray 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan was racing north on Gilbert just before it. He hit the wall at 12:32 a. m. , according to Fullerton police.
• Orange Coast College reported that it had stolen a silkscreen print of Andy Warhol, “Mao,” from its gallery. The 1972 art depicting Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, valued at $50,000, has disappeared from the Frank M. Museum of Art. Doyle at the beginning of the month. Campus police and the Costa Mesa Police Department are investigating the theft.
• Did you see the alleged gambling scandal involving the Shohei Ohtani interpreter coming?It was a surprise, even for the former Angel Ohtani star, he told reporters on Monday. On Tuesday night (after the deadline for today’s bulletin), Ohtani was scheduled to play at Angel Stadium as a Dodger for the first time at the end of the three-game Freeway exhibition series, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. It was the fourth time he had faced the team with which he had spent his first six seasons in the primary leagues. The Dodgers lost to the Angels 6-0 on Monday but beat the Halos 5-3 on Sunday.
• In other reports related to the Angels, Times sports editor Mike DiGiovanna examines how the loss of Ohtani could offer at least one silver lining: Expectations for the team arguably wouldn’t be as high as they were before he left. “The narrative out there is that we’re kind of forgotten now that Ohtani is rarely around,” Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval said. “The media, the enthusiasts and baseball in general don’t expect much from us. “
• Ireland’s Padraig Harrington made an 8-foot birdie in 18th place to win his first Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club in windy conditions. The 52-year-old Harrington, who won his seventh PGA Tour Champions overall, finished at 14 under. “That’s the wonderful thing about the Champions Tour, it allows us to relive our glories beyond,” Harrington said. “We’re making shots where we’re worried, nervous and excited. And that doesn’t change when you have a putt to win or have a chance to win, you don’t need to make a mistake in front of people.
• March Madness: Gonzaga, seeded No. 4, overcame a slow start to beat UC Irvine 75-56 in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Saturday, the Times reported. The Anteaters were betting on their first NCAA tournament since 1995.
• In the Battle of the Bell at Anaheim Stadium last Wednesday, the Costa Mesa High School baseball team scored six times in the final two innings to beat archrival Estancia High 8-2. The Angels’ fifth game of the annual “Halo Classic” series involving the best local schools was played in Costa Mesa’s favor for the first time, but it doesn’t count toward the Orange Coast League standings, the Daily Pilot reported.
• The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center is thoroughly concerned about some red-tailed hawks that just arrived at the center a few weeks ago as spotted eggs. The need for eggs from a new home was discovered after a biologist called through an application company operating in Aliso Canyon retrieved them from a nest located dangerously on an application pole.
• Duke Kahanamoku, a legendary Olympic swimmer and surfing icon of the early 20th century, is honored this year with an art exhibit titled “Duke’s Dream Came True: Surfing’s Road to the Olympics” at the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach. The exhibit includes 16 story panels, as well as 18 original artworks through equally famous personalities in global surf culture, according to the Daily Pilot’s report on the program.
• Newport Harbor Post 291 of the American Legion celebrates its centennial this year. It was founded by a handful of people in 1924, first in a building they called “Hut”, and has since grown to over 8,000 members in its 3 entities. they also come with an auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion. Last Saturday, he organized a dual-purpose march from the Huntington Beach Pier to the headquarters of Post 291 in Newport Harbor to raise awareness about veteran suicides and serve as a fundraiser for the post’s charitable efforts on behalf of veterans and their families.
• WonderCon is held at the Anaheim Convention Center from Friday through Sunday. Cosplay, panels, a wide variety of activities and entertainment and more than 900 vendors. Hours are 11:30 a. m. to 7 p. m. m. Friday; 10 a. m. to 7 p. m. Saturday and from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. For a pre-departure look, check out the TimesOC report on the occasion published over the weekend.
• Crossroads of the West Gun Show (the self-proclaimed “Big One”) returns this weekend at the OC Fair
• “Vietnam Veterans Day” will be celebrated Saturday at the Balboa Island Museum, from 10 a. m. to 10 a. m. M. A five p. m. , and all veterans, family and friends are invited. There will be a special Vietnam veterans badge ceremony and coffee and donuts will be served. The museum is at 210 B Marine Ave.
• The second annual “Egg-Cellent Adventure” will take place from nine to nine to year. 1 p. m. Easter Sunday at Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave. , Santa Ana. Families are invited to a day of egg hunts (for children up to 10 years old). years, bring your own basket), inflatable games, and a mini-farm. From 9 a. m. to 11:30 a. m. m. , the Santa Ana Lions Club will serve a pancake breakfast for $5, depending on your child’s schedule.
Thank you for reading today’s newsletter. If you have a memory or story about Orange County, I’d love to read it and share it in this space. Inquire to restrict your submission to a hundred words or less and come with your call. and city of existing residence.
I thank you for making this newsletter as productive as possible. Send us themed tips, your memories of life in OC (photos accepted!) or comments to carol. cormaci@latimes. com.
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Carol Cormaci is the editor of the Times Community News’ Daily Pilot in Orange County and writes the TimesOC newsletter. She is originally from Southern California and is proud to be a UCLA Bruin. In the past she served as editor of 3 former Times Community News. publications: Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun.
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